CATSKILL, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed state budget for 2012-13 includes gimmicks and provides no real benefit or relief for Greene County, according to the county administrator.

Shaun Groden also said Cuomo's fiscal blueprint doesn't show any fiscal discipline and is just "kicking the can down the road."

"I'm not impressed with the budget," Groden said last week.

The administrator said the governor limits municipalities' property tax levy increases to roughly 2 percent in an effort to force tough decisions at the local level, but then does not provide any spending relief. Groden said it's impossible for the county to make those decisions when the state how counties spend money.

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In a press release issued last Monday, the New York State Association of Counties said while there no new state resources have been set aside to ease the financial burden of state mandates, "Cuomo continues to recognize the fiscal pressures on counties and has provided some tools to help stabilize the costs imposed on local governments."

The release said the governor's new budget calls for freezing county Medicaid costs in 2015 and sets aside $100 million toward that end.

The release also said the budget proposes such changes as: allowing counties the option to modify how they fund state-mandated pension contributions; providing counties more audit authority regarding special education preschool programs; removing the need for counties to pursue home-rule authority every two years to extend local sales taxes; reforming the workers' compensation system; reducing administrative and reporting requirements for counties regarding some public health programs; and renewing binding arbitration.

Groden said the pension option does not guarantee counties will save money in the long term. Rather, he said, the plan proposed by the governor could just push expenses down the road over the next 25 years.

And while a new tier has been included in the state pension system, Groden said Greene County will not benefit from that until its whole staff changes over. That will not happen for many years, he said.

"So, to me, this is a gimmick," Groden said.

On another issue, Groden said the governor's proposal to limit plea deals for speeders will cost the county money because speeding fines are paid to the state while fines for non-moving violations that often are the result of plea deals in speeding cases are paid to the counties.

Not allowing speeders to plead to reduced infractions will result in less fine revenue for counties, Groden said.